The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to a system for configuring a networking device.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems such as, for example, networking devices, may require configuration in order to enable enhanced functionality that is provided by that networking device. For example, networking switches may be provided as “unmanaged” switches, or may include an unmanaged operational mode, that trades enhanced functionality for ease of setup (e.g., such unmanaged switches are essentially “plug-and-play” switches that allow devices to simply be connected to its ports to enable communication with each other over a single network without any need to configure the networking device or its ports). However, networking switches provided as “managed” switches, or including a managed operational mode, typically require some technical knowledge of networking switch configuration techniques in order to enable enhanced functionality. For example, configuring different Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) on a managed switch and assigning ports to each of those VLANs can require dozens of Command Line Interface (CLI) commands, or extensive time reading networking switch documentation to learn to use a web configuration client, and often result in service calls to networking device technical support. Furthermore, managed switches often require a management network and/or console port to create VLANs and assign ports to those VLANs, which further complicates the process of configuring the networking switch.
The need for technical knowledge such as that described above, and the complications that can result from a lack of that technical knowledge, raises a number of issues in the utilization of networking switches. For example, many companies must either employ an Information Technology (IT) professional with the required technical knowledge to configure their networking switches, or take on the task of configuring those networking switches themselves. However, the costs of employing an IT professional may be excessive, particularly when their most complicated responsibility may be to configure networking switches once or twice per year. This often results in the purchase of unneeded networking switches, and/or the misuse of networking switches. For example, it has been found that many companies simply purchase a separate unmanaged switch for each network they would like to utilize, rather than purchase a managed switch and configure that managed switch to provide each of the networks they would like to utilize. In some instances, it has been found that some companies purchase a separate (and more expensive) managed switch for each network they would like to utilize, while simply disregarding the enhanced functionality and multi-network ability enabled by those managed switches due to their inability or hesitancy to attempt to properly configure them.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved networking device configuration system.